Living The Golden Dream

The drought is so severe that "the prospect of sewer water being treated and redirected back into faucets is the future of California if the water crisis continues":

Toilet-to-tap technology is already here. Two water districts in the Bay Area — the Dublin San Ramon Services District and the Santa Clara Valley Water District — are testing systems that filter sewer water and purify it to the point that it can be consumed by the public. Orange County has a system in place that recycles 100 million gallons of wastewater a day — enough to quench the thirst of 850,000 people — by treating it and injecting it into aquifers.

(Image from vetstreet.com)

Comments:

1) This winter's El Nino rains can't come soon enough.

2) "TTT", for toilet-to-tap, is an easy-to-remember acronym.

3) The Bay Area is the leader in trying out new technology, but I'm glad Orange County went first.

4) In California "living like a dog" is more than just a metaphor.

None Were More Satisfying

After a day of business in the South Bay my colleague and I were ready for a relaxed meal. I suggested seafood, but he had a better idea: beer and a grilled entree at the Tied House in Mountain View.

With widescreen monitors and large bar, the cavernous tavern is popular during football season. On this Tuesday afternoon it was nearly empty.

He and I split a flight of five 6-oz. beers. I ordered a plate of wild-game sausages (boar and lamb), warm potato salad, and cole slaw. We talked about follow-up steps, debriefed the meetings, and toasted our hoped-for success.

In recent months I've had fancier and more expensive lunches, but none were more satisfying. © 2015 Stephen Yuen

Full Service Banking

Problem or solution? multigenerational homes

Barron's:

For the first time in history, two generations of retirees are coexisting within a single family, as baby boomers retire while their elderly parents are still alive. [bold added]

Who is helping the aged with their myriad health, financial, and life-planning problems when there's no family around? Why, bankers, of course.

Eldercare programs are now being offered by firms such as Bank of America’s U.S. Trust and Merrill Lynch, Wells Fargo Private Bank, Morgan Stanley, and Northern Trust. Such programs build contingency plans that involve organizing all of an elderly client’s information in the event that he or she becomes incapacitated; overseeing and paying medical bills; navigating coverage issues associated with Medicare and the Affordable Healthcare Act, or Obamacare; vetting in-home care; evaluating long-term care facilities; and even managing the sale of a home.

Eldercare services are expensive for banks to provide, and wealthy clients (those with at least $2 million to $5 million under management, depending on the bank) often pay an extra fee. In some cases the benefits seem well worth the expense.

LITA ASKANAS, 78, was a Wells Fargo private-bank client when, three years ago, her husband, Charles, then 81, was told he had dementia....The couple’s Wells Fargo financial advisor suggested they meet with Mia Hernandez, one of the bank’s Life Management Services specialists, who came to their Saratoga, Calif., home to discuss how she might help.

Hernandez went to work on the Askanas’ medical bills, found a home health-care provider to help with Charles, and a tax preparer to handle the couple’s taxes. When Lita couldn’t find her Social Security documents, Hernandez came to their house, went through their computer to find the information, and reordered the necessary documents. When the couple decided to take a last cruise before Charles’ condition deteriorated, says Lita, “I called Mia and said, ‘I’m going on a trip but my passport has expired. What do I do?’ Mia came to the house, got my picture, and had my passport rushed.”

When Charles’ condition went beyond home- care capabilities, Hernandez accompanied Lita, helping her find a suitable facility for him. No small thing: Charles had a form of dementia that often results in aggressive and violent behavior, making placement in a home difficult. In February, Charles passed away.

Having a guide to navigate these confusing, important, emotional issues is currently out of the reach of the non-wealthy majority.

However, we are confident that the tech revolution will come to eldercare as it has to every other aspect of life, and that decision-making tools and knowledge of best eldercare practices will soon be available to everyone. (No more than ten years from now, please, when we will be needing them.)

And the Nice Shall be First....Eventually

(Drawing from memecenter.com)

"Nice guys finish last" is a saying attributed to baseball-is-war Dodgers manager Leo Durocher in the 1940's. The saying resonates with experience because everyone knows "winners" who use any means to reach the top. But is "nice guys finish last" mostly true?

Wharton psychologist Adam Grant found that in a study of engineers, salespeople and medical school students

the most generous people were overrepresented in both the bottom 25% of their field and the top 25%. As Grant put it, “Good guys and gals have a better chance of finishing last than the rest of us, but also better odds of finishing first. [bold added]”

Professor Grant divides people into three categories: Takers, Givers, and Matchers. The first two are self-explanatory, while Matchers transact interpersonally on a quid pro quo basis. (In real life there's probably no one who behaves all the time as a Taker, Giver, or Matcher.) Though very few Givers behave that way out of cold calculation, generosity can inure to one's benefit in the long run:

being overly generous towards other people can be harmful in the short run, if it outweighs personal goals and needs. But it will pay dividends later with the skills the Givers acquire along the way and the goodwill they engender.

“You actually learn things through helping other people solve their problems,” Grant said. “And there’s a social capital upside… but they don’t happen right away.”

And what about the jerks who finish first? "Takers, on the other hand, tend to rise fast and fall just as quickly."

In related news, Donald Trump, whose most famous catchphrase is "You're fired", saw that his lead has softened significantly over other Republican candidates for President.

Just Watch Out for Rolling Mail Carts

Not much privacy--for trustworthy office environments only

For office workers who don't have a separate nap room comes the workstation bed.

It's not difficult to think outside of this box. The workstation bed can be used at night for those (programmers, lawyers, investment bankers) who would otherwise stay late and arrive early. It can apply to the space constrained, such as those who live in tiny houses or cramped dorms. And if you're worried about your junior sleepers rolling off the bed, they won't have far to fall.

Hey, I could have used one of these last night...

Lesson Learned

It helps not to have an active imagination.

It all came together on Tuesday and Thursday night, as five different cooks prepared dishes for the five client families of Home and Hope.

It may not sound like a difficult management task, but between communicating with and cajoling volunteers, and fighting through the traffic (thousands of Peninsula workers live across the Bay) resulting from a booming local economy, there were some anxious moments.

It was my first time to be one of the overnight hall monitors. Veronica took the room downstairs, while I rolled out the sleeping bag in the church. Making a feeble joke about how I was glad that the Lutherans don't build the altars on the bones of the saints, I texted the family good night and promptly dozed off.

The response woke me at 1 a.m., but it was the content, "So, no ghost?" that made for a restless night. Lesson learned: no jokes, especially about religion, when one is in a dark chapel all by one's lonesome.

Where is He Now?

Three years after "Linsanity" Jeremy Lin has settled into the role of backup point guard with the Charlotte Hornets. As the experts constantly reminded us in 2012, Jeremy Lin's middle-of-the-road NBA talent caught lightning when injuries gave Jeremy a chance to show off his passing skills in New York, the center of the media universe.

Jeremy Lin's success made a few players resentful, but he showed humor and spiritual gracefulness as he descended from heights impossible to sustain.

He maintains a good relationship with many in the NBA; witness current and former teammates who appeared in his recent video.



As we said three years ago, "this young man has exhibited such a high degree of media savvy that we expect to see him around long after his playing days are over."

An Auspicious Beginning to the Season

Meanwhile, don't forget to replace your lug nuts.

Today is the first day of fall, a good time to get one's battery recharged. Speaking of which, the van's battery failed twice in the past three weeks. Luckily, friendly car-owners took pity on us and allowed us to use our jumper cables.

I went to Costco Auto. We were in month 35 of a 36-month full refund guarantee. The net cost of the new battery was $6. The unexpected victory over the warranty gods was an auspicious beginning to the season. May our triumphs continue.

Not Your Average Bear

Yogi Berra, who was one of the greatest catchers in history, died today at the age of 90. Some of his records may never be broken:

All told, his Yankees teams won the American League pennant 14 out of 17 years. He still holds Series records for games played, plate appearances, hits and doubles. No other player has been a champion so often.

Today the baseball accomplishments have faded in memory but not his famous "Yogi"-isms, which have stood the test of time as "somehow both nonsensical and sagacious." Some of the most widely quoted are:

"The game's isn't over until it's over."

"You can observe a lot just by watching."

"When you come to a fork in the road, take it."

"I never said most of the things I said."

"It gets late early out there."

"It's like déjà vu all over again."

R.I.P., Yogi, you were unique. On top of that, you were one of a kind.

Civilizational Breakdown

We stopped at Taco Bell to pick up dinner. Tonight's greeting was different:

Welcome to Taco Bell. Our computers aren't working. Can you pay cash?

There was some confusion in the drive-through, as some customers who intended to pay with credit or debit cards couldn't exit the line.

All orders were hand-written on scraps of paper, then added up manually with taxes applied at a partially working register. Young man, that's how we did it back in the day. Our order was ready in five minutes. The kitchen had minimal computerization, thank goodness.

On the way home I noticed that the city's electronic billboard (the Foster City Marquee) had been taken down. It will be replaced in 2016. City residents will have to post notices old school: putting up flyers in the supermarkets and running ads in the local newspapers.

It will be difficult to cope, but people are resilient.

Too Much

Changing tastes are reflected quickly on the Sunset District's Irving Street, where shops and restaurants spring up and disappear like flowers after a rain. The bubble tea stores appear to have staying power as a hangout for Asian kids. It helps that the shops have free WiFi, in other words a Starbucks for teens.

The local clientele's sweet tooth having been confirmed, there's room for another confection. The moffle, a Japanese mochi waffle ice cream sandwich, made an appearance. In my younger days I would have tried one without a second thought. Today, well, that's too much of a mouthful.

The One to Watch

If you, dear reader, were taken aback by Tesla's model P85D being named not only 2015's best car by Consumer Reports but the best car in history, join the crowd. Last month Forbes named Tesla the most innovative company in the world.

High praise indeed for a twelve-year-old auto maker in a 120-year-old industry.

It doesn't require an imaginative leap for Tesla to have developed the best battery technology or the best electric drive train, but how can the windows, paint, safety features, brakes, "fit and finish", comfort, handling, and the myriad other items that go into an automobile also be better than cars from much larger, more experienced manufacturers?

The answer lies with the people that Tesla hires and how work is organized. [bold added]

[Founder Elon] Musk has engineered a team and process that look different....Musk is known for selecting people based upon their ability to solve complex problems–not based upon experience. Says Tesla Chief Information Officer Jay Vijayan, “Elon doesn’t settle for good or very good. He wants the best. So he asks job candidates what kinds of complex problems they’ve solved before and he wants details.”

Elon Musk: "I don’t care if they graduated from university or even high school.”

After hiring folks with a demonstrated ability to solve complex problems, Tesla deploys them in small teams that sit cheek-by-jowl to hasten the solutions. “Our communication allows us to move incredibly fast,” says chief designer Franz von Holzhausen. “That is an element that isn’t happening in the rest of the automotive world. They are siloed organizations that take a long time to communicate.” Von Holzhausen was able to design the award-winning Tesla S with a team of just three designers sitting next to their engineering counterparts. Bigger automakers typically have 10 to 12 designers working on each new model.

The Bay Area is home to leading businesses and celebrity CEO's (e.g.,Mark Zuckerberg--Facebook, Sergey Brin & Larry Page--Google, Reid Hastings--Netflix, Larry Ellison--Oracle, Tim Cook--Apple, Marc Benioff--Salesforce.com), but if I had to choose one to watch, it would be Elon Musk.

The CEO of Tesla Motors is also the CEO of SpaceX and the Chairman of Solar City.
He works on the hyperloop in his spare time.

Attention Grabber

Normally I glance over e-mails from my former graduate school, but the current dean's unexpected letter of resignation was an attention-grabber. The relevant paragraph [bold added]:

As many of you know, the university and I have been vigorously defending a baseless and protracted lawsuit related to a contentious divorce between a current and former member of our faculty. I have become increasingly concerned that the ongoing litigation and growing media interest will distract all of you from the important work that you are doing and unfairly impact this stellar school’s deserved reputation.

A lawsuit and a faculty marriage breaking up---these are unfortunate problems but surely not the dean's responsibility, unless.....

Yep, Dean Garth Saloner was involved.

Garth and Deborah (photo
on poetsandquants.com);

The professor with whom Saloner embarked on an affair, Deborah Gruenfeld, is a board member of LeanIn.org, the group started by Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg to offer women “inspiration and support.” In an email exchange revealed in the lawsuit, Saloner advises the professor not to approach her divorce “too much” as a woman.

The professor’s husband, also a professor at the B-school when the affair began, has been fired and now teaches full-time at Apple University, the tech giant’s internal training facility.

Details of the court dispute could be especially damaging to Stanford’s business school since they include allegations of professional and financial retribution against Gruenfeld’s husband, Jim Phills, contempt for school rules and policies, and claims that the Graduate School of Business (GSB) is a hostile workplace riven by “personal agendas, favoritism, and fear.”

I first heard Garth Saloner speak at an alumni event, where he employed the new-to-me business jargon "deep dive"(an intensive exploration of detail) over and over. That alliterative pairing just rolls off the tongue, doesn't it?

Another (Eventually) Satisfied Customer

The Stanford Apple Store has two great rooms, one for
customer service and one for sales. Its 12,000+ square
feet is larger than the San Francisco flagship store.

The iPad refused to boot up. After charging it over night, the screen stayed black. I made an appointment at the Stanford Apple Store, which could see me in three days. Plugged in until then, the iPad was able to start up on the morning of the appointment. The battery registered 30%. One final Time Machine backup, then on to Apple.

The Genius was courteous and technically knowledgable. He ran diagnostics that indicated the iPad was marginally okay. He was going to send me home with the iPad as is, but when I pointed out that a similar problem occurred in May (confirmed in the database) he replaced the iPad without hesitation.

That's why I always buy Apple's extended warranty, aka AppleCare, for every piece of Apple equipment we own. How come we're so loyal if the equipment is so cra--unreliable? Well, we don't mind the expense too much because as Apple investors we've been more than adequately compensated.

Wilma, We're Home

(Chronicle photos)

For nearly 40 years Peninsula motorists have been driving by a white, mushroom-shaped structure off Highway 280. When it was re-painted in 2007, the 2,730-square-foot orange-and-purple home was nicknamed the Flintstone House.

The unique Hillsborough property is listed at $4.2 million. If you can afford to cut a check for such a whimsical purchase, you're entitled to shout Yabba-Dabba-Doo.

The interior's special, too.